Wood ducks (Aix sponsa), Bull Creek Wildlife Management Area.

Florida, part 9: Birds

The checklist of Florida birds includes about 500 species. Many of those are accidental visitors, non-breeding migrants or introduced exotics. Only about 300 regularly breed on Florida Peninsula.

Wood ducks, BCWMA.

Fulvous whistling duck (Dendrocygna bicolor), Tiger Creek Preserve.

For all its wetlands, Florida doesn't have that much waterfowl. Wood duck is common in the north, and two rare whistling- ducks occur in the interior.

Black-bellied whistling ducks (D. autimnalis), Anclote River.

Mottled ducks (Anas fulvigula), Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.

Mottled ducks, ARMLNWR.

In southern Florida, the only common breeding species is mottled duck. Feral muscovy ducks and Canada geese occur near cities. Mottled ducks, ARMLNWR.

Mottled ducks, ARMLNWR.

Tundra swan (Cygnus columbianus).

In winter, numerous other ducks arrive from the north. They mostly prefer the coasts to inland waters. Only blue-winged teal is common in the interior. Geese rarely reach that far south, and swans don't normally occur in Florida.

Tundra swan, ARMLNWR.

Blue-winged teals (A. discors), Sawgrass Lake Park.

Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga), Everglades National Park.

One of the best known birds of Florida is anhinga. It is a star attraction of the Everglades. Trails along artificial canals, such as Anhinga Trail and Shark valley trail, are the best places to see it fishing and drying its wings in the sun.

Anhinga eating an introduced brown hoplo (Hoplosternum littorale), ENP.

Anhinga with peninsular cooter (Pseudemys floridana peninsularis), ENP.

Anhinga drying its wings, ENP.

Anhinga, ENP.

Anhinga, ENP.

Anhingas are the only bird capable of stabbing fish with their bill instead of seizing it. They can also swim with only their head above the water.

Anhinga, ENP.

Anhinga, ENP.

Almost every tourist who's ever been to the Everglades has a photo like this. ENP.

Anhinga with chicks, ENP.

Almost every spring, anhingas nest in a colony at the end of Anhinga Trail. The male collects sticks and other nesting material, while the female builds the nest platform.

Anhinga with chicks, ENP.

Anhinga with chicks, ENP.

Anhinga with chicks, ENP.

Anhingas nest on small trees or tall shrubs growing in the water, and lay 2-6 eggs. The eggs hatch in less than a month. Small chicks are very quiet, but as they grow larger, they become active and noisy. If a chick is threatened, it can jump out of the nest, fall into the water and swim away. If alligators don't catch it, it will eventually swim back and climb up the tree to the nest.

Anhinga with chicks, ENP.

Anhingas with chicks, ENP.

Anhinga feeding its chicks, ENP.

Feeding half- grown chicks isn't easy. To a human observer, the process often looks outright scary.

Anhinga feeding chicks, ENP.

Anhinga chicks, ENP.

Anhinga chicks, ENP.

As the chicks grow, they leave the nest, but still depend on their parents for a few weeks. They gradually learn to fish, but they only hunt slow-moving fish species, unlike their more agile relatives - the double- crested cormorants.

Anhinga chicks, ENP.

Double-crested cormorant, ENP.	Juvenile double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus), De Soto National Memorial.	Double-crested cormorant, ENP.
	Double-crested cormorants are common year-round in Florida. They often form mixed colonies with anhingas, herons and egrets.

Double-crested cormorants, ENP.

Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), Port Canaveral.

Brown pelican was once almost extinct due to damage from DDT poisoning. Now this impressive bird is again easy to see along the coast. In summer, soaring pelicans are joined by frigatebirds from the Caribbean.

Brown pelican, Pelican Island National Seashore.

Magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens), Dry Tortugas National Park.

Part 10. Egrets and herons

Back to Part 8